All-Hands Meeting With Bodman Tomorrow

Employees are invited to attend an all-hands meeting with Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman during his visit to the Lab tomorrow. The event will take place between 2:45 and 3:30 p.m. in the Building 50 Auditorium. A question-and-answer session will be included. Prior to this meeting, Bodman will tour the Lab and receive updates on research projects. Those unable to attend the meeting can watch it via web streaming.

Be Sure to Catch Last
Summer Lecture Today

Learn how Einstein's classic equation, E=mc², has evolved over the last century when Lab physicist Hitoshi Murayama delivers a lecture on the topic today at noon in Building 50 Auditorium. This is the last installment of the Summer Lecture Series, which this year was coordinated with the "World Year of Physics" celebration. It honors the 100th anniversary of the publishing of Einstein's seminal papers about energy and mass.

August is Psoriasis
Awareness Month

The Lab's Health Care Facilitator wants to remind staff that August is "Psoriasis Awareness Month." Psoriasis is a non-contagious, lifelong skin disease that has been diagnosed in 4.5 million adults in the U.S. The cause of psoriasis is not known, but it is believed to have a genetic component. Most researchers agree that the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. A normal skin cell matures and falls off the body's surface in 28-30 days. But a psoriasis skin cell takes only 3 to 4 days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off, the cells pile up and form the lesions. Go here for more information.

Wolf demonstrates special effects

Learn the Science Behind
Movie Stunts and Effects

Ever wonder how stunt people stay safe while on fire, crashing through windows, or jumping from buildings? Special effects coordinator Steve Wolf will explain how science is used to help solve these and other movie-making challenges at a special event the Lab is co-hosting with the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Wolf uses lively demonstrations to show the wizardry used to create stunts. Admission is free. The event, which takes place at the LHS auditorium, is being presented by the Physics Division in conjunction with the "World Year of Physics."

High School students in "Physics for Building Science" class

Lab-Designed Physics
Class in News Article

A "Physics for Building Science" class for high school students — designed by the Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division and the Center for Science and Engineering Education, and offered through Laney Community College — was featured in a recent article in the Oakland Tribune. The story explains how this course helps fill a gap in Oakland School District's science curriculum. Go here to read the piece.